


Ice Princes

by EdwardNotSoLittle, THHuxley



Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst and Romance, Canonical Character Death, Collaboration, Dead People, Fan Art, M/M, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Romance, Water Sex, Wet Clothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 06:14:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26468527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdwardNotSoLittle/pseuds/EdwardNotSoLittle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/THHuxley/pseuds/THHuxley
Summary: This wasn't heaven, but it was close.
Relationships: Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is was commission with the lovely Vikki that quickly turned into a collaboration!!!
> 
> Be sure to checkout chapter 2 for the art that inspired this!

They were dead. 

Both of them knew this as soon as they'd found each other, walking across the hellish arctic tundra that for some reason seemed so very serene all of the sudden. 

Thomas knew as soon as he'd woken up under a beautiful borealis of greens and pinks and yellows. The dark sky lit up with twinkling stars amongst wisps of cerulean off the sides of the vibrant auroras of color.

Well, not quite, he supposed what gave it away was that his hands were clean. His skin, his hair– now at preferred length– was clean. It wasn't caked in blood and filth. It didn't smell metallic or hurt if he ran his fingers through it.

Edward knew when he woke up without the sound of clinking chains accompanying his movements. His beard was trimmed and his lips were no longer pained from the wind. He had all his teeth. 

His constant fatigue was _gone_ . He felt _rested_.

It was almost as if he'd gone back in time to before they marched out onto the ice. 

That wasn't possible, he'd concluded. 

He _must_ be dead.

This wasn't heaven, surely not.

Another endless tundra? 

Well, more like melting tundra. The glaciers were dripping as if in thaw yet they didn't shrink. The strangest part, possibly, was how the watermelt weaved, and spiraled until it formed into a straight line with a steady flow, trickling to some destination unknown. Sometimes the streams could be seen with water droplets floating up into the sky until they disappeared into the atmosphere, almost as if visibly evaporating before their eyes.

The snow was soft, not hard beneath their feet. The entire time, there was no chill. No cold. No frigid temperatures. Yet the temperature was not warm either. The only warmth to be felt was skin contact, not that it was needed with the moderate climate. It was a strange place. 

He and Edward had walked for hours under the skies, admiring the beauty of this place. They'd seen beautifully weather-chiseled ice pillars that glistened like the fine cut crystal glasses from the great cabin cupboards. 

They had come across dripping ice cliffs that despite trickling enough water to fill a thousand of basins and overflow the sea itself never seemed to shrink. 

Was that where the water went?

Every night was either a stunning display of the aurora borealis, or a vast field of thousands of stars twinkling like small pearls amidst an endless black or navy blue sky. They glowed with a purpose. 

They'd also encountered strange things. One of them they'd officially deemed a landmark of such a mystical, enchanted place like this.

A great waterfall carved between two glaciers. They'd found where the watermelt went. The waterfall led into a lake sized patch open sea, almost like mock lead. The ice here had thawed.

The strangest part of it all was that Edward could hear the breeze as if they were back on _Terror's_ deck. The sea breeze of open water and steady sailing that would have her rocking back and forth.

Where they frozen in time? Was that is? Because it did feel like some aspects of this place mimicked the lack of continuance. 

Melting ice should melt away to nothingness eventually, right? 

Perhaps this place was some sort of in-between rather than a heaven, but heaven it might as well have been. 

"It's rather ironic, isn't it?" Thomas asked, looking over at Edward as the man stood at the base of the waterfall. He swished about his feet in the water as if they were just on a beach.

Edward turned to look at him, staring, silent, inquisitive. Thomas cracked a wry smile, something that must have looked so out of place. Turning back to the water he wiggled his toes, staring intently at a small piece of ice float in the water. He poked it with his foot.

"You used to have to be wary of water like this if you didn’t want to freeze. I can attest to it too from the Ross Expedition." 

"The Ross Expedition?" 

Jopson tittered softly with a sweet dimpled smile, "Indeed, I fell overboard at one point." 

Edward gawped at him. 

_Oh._

"Didn't I tell you about that?" He asked toeing the small floating ice with the larger toe on his left foot.

"No. You told me about how your leg was injured during the ships' collision, but falling overboard? This is the first time I heard of it."

"Oh." Thomas let out a small nervous laugh, "Well, it was shortly after my injury I'm afraid. If it wasn't for Captain Crozier jumping overboard to rescue me himself, in the middle of the night at that, I'd probably have drowned." 

Edward couldn't help it, he snorted a laugh. Suddenly appearing, the image in his head of Crozier ripping off his coat swearing and bounding over the gunwale. 

It was curious, the relationship between Captain Francis Crozier and Thomas Jopson had always been a fascinating one. It seemed like it went beyond master and servant to an almost paternal bond.

"Crozier leapt overboard to save you?" 

"I was supposed to be confined to my cabin resting, but at that age I was easily restless. So I snuck out and went up for some fresh air. I've always been quiet on my feet so it was pretty easy to sneak around the watch." 

Edward couldn't stop himself from shooting a wolffish, pointed grin. "You got too close to the gunwales."

Thomas laughed, nodding to confirm the statement. 

"The Captain had been coming up for a smoke. He'd insisted he'd not had a choice, he was the only one on deck, but he could have easily just let me go for being stupid." 

Edward's eyes softened at the words and he approached him to sit on the ice beside him. He took off his boots and socks before rolling up the legs of his trousers. He put his feet in the water as well.

"It is odd. I can't believe we don't feel the cold. This water should be freezing." He mumbled.

Thomas rested his hand over the top of Edward's, brushing his thumb over the ridges of his knuckles. 

"Want to go for a swim?"

Such a question had Edward barking out a laugh, the noise sounding hoarse before picking up in volume. His eyes crinkled at the corners and Thomas couldn't help but dimple brightly with a warm smile. 

An idea came to him and he smirked, watching the man continue to titter uncontrollably. He leaned in and kissed the freckles on his lover's face. 

That quieted Edward down as he turned his head to face his affections, wanting to capture those pretty lips in a kiss.

Jopson turned, pulling his right leg out of the water to tuck it beneath himself so he could face Edward properly, one leg still dangling, swishing just below the azure surface of the Arctic sea. He cupped the former lieutenant’s face between warm hands and pressed his lips to soft pink ones with a sweet delicateness. 

Edward’s brown eyes were warm and quickly darkening with something Thomas knew far too well. After all, how many nights had he laid tucked in the older man’s arms, in the narrow bunk within the lieutenant’s personal quarters? He’d stared into those eyes as they’d moved against each other, rutting together. Sometimes even daring to commit one of the ultimate offenses that could have gotten them lashed or even hung. 

Discreteness had been of the utmost importance, and they had managed in the beginning. Yes, eventually they had gotten found out, by Commander Fitzjames of all people. The man had the gall not to knock on the door when he was in the mood to plan Carnivale. 

_Gentlemen, my apologies. Please, carry on._

Their handsome younger Captain had simply smiled sweetly and apologized, and it was never spoken of again.

They did not continue. 

Edward had been too terrified to keep himself upright so the older man had given his cock a good work over with his mouth. 

Thomas hummed as Edward’s lips responded to his desperately. Jopson dragged one hand from Edward’s face to rest on his shoulder, gripping it tightly before leaning to the left, towards the water. 

“Thomas. Don’t you dare.” Edward warned him in a voice dropped to a growl. 

Jopson smirked mischievously before throwing his weight in the direction of the water, sending them both into it with a splash. Beneath the surface was a brilliant blue and Thomas saw a couple seals swimming. The water surprisingly didn’t burn his eyes like normal salt-water would. When he looked up towards the surface he could see the brilliant glow and blotches of color from the auroras that decorated the sky with such elegance.

_This place is very strange._

A hand darted beneath the surface of the water and grabbed him by the scruff of his great coat, yanking him up to the surface. Playfully, he sucked in a mouthful of water before coming up.  
  


There was Edward, sopping wet hair hanging half over his eyes and a grumpy pout on his face. 

“Was that necessa-” he was cut off by the jet of water he spat that hit him straight in the forehead. It trickled down his brows and dripped onto his collar and causing little rings in the water when flecks landed on it’s blue surface between. Edward’s pout seemed to deepen and Thomas laughed at the godawful look on his face.

Edward let out a sigh and placed a wet hand on his face as he stood up to his full height in the chest deep water. 

Perhaps it wasn’t the sea. 

_Maybe it’s the fountain of youth._

That thought had Thomas laughing again, and Edward quirking an eyebrow at him. “What?” 

He shook his head, “Nothing love.” he said, standing and giving him a quick kiss. He began to unbutton Edward’s greatcoat. “Now, let’s get you out of those wet clothes, hm?”

The other man looked amused. “We’re dead Tommy, the cold doesn’t bother us.” 

Jopson grinned, nibbling on his ear, “But you're so handsome with wet hair...” 

Edward’s dark eyes reflected the glows of the sky giving them a sparkling appearance. Thomas couldn’t help but think they looked like lights shining on obsidian glass. He kissed the freckles on the other man’s cheeks, his nose, and the couple on his temple. Edward absolutely revelled in the attention. 

He made quick work of his outer coats, the things were heavy as he tossed them up in a pile onto the ice, the thick wool weighing them down with the water that soaked them. The entire while he was undressing Edward, Jopson pressed his groin forward against his thigh. 

Once he’d divested his love of his top layers he leaned back to admire the view. 

First Lieutenant Edward Little was, without a doubt, the most handsome man he’d ever seen in his life. Not the most charming at first, but boy had he been charmed by the man. He’d stolen his heart and whisked him away. 

Broad-shouldered, strong-armed. There was a tattoo on his right shoulder of a large anchor with a swallow on the left side of the hitch and a star on the right. He’d gotten it in Yorkshire at twenty-years old when he’d become a mate. A hirsute chest with hair that was dark brown in color, modestly toned with able muscle. A couple scars, one from a pirate's cutlass and another where he said he'd been trampled on by a horse.

His cock twitched. A soft groan from Edward and the feel of hips pressing forward against his own, rubbing their groins together through their wet trousers had Thomas snapping back to Earth.

Things were heating up pretty fast it would seem. 

A firm hand tilted his chin up and a tongue licked its way into his mouth, tangling with his own as passion started to show its face. He moaned into the kiss, letting Edward remove his top layers, moving with him when necessary. 

"I love you," Thomas whispered against soft lips as soon as soon as the dominant tongue that pillaged his mouth gave him respite.

Edward hummed before capturing his mouth again, slipping the last of his clothing from his shoulders and tossing them onto the ice on top of his own coat and shirts. Jopson could feel Edward’s cock raising against his and purposely ground their hips together to seek more friction. It made the other man’s hum turn into a small mewl of pleasure and he smiled sweetly against his lips, followed by a breathless, “I love thee Thomas Jopson.”

Hands were pulling his trousers and long drawers down and once again, Thomas moved with him to help get his legs free. He did the same with Edward’s own britches and they both threw the other’s pants onto their pile of sopping wet clothing.

Both of them paused, taking a moment to enjoy the touch and feel of their bodies being so close together. Thomas leaned forward and let his forehead rest against his lover’s while they both stared sensually into each other’s eyes. Both a dark brown pair and the other a brace of pale hazel gleamed as they reflected the striking lights of the borealis in the sky that bounced off the ice pillars around them. It made Edward’s appear as ebony beads and Edward couldn’t help but think that Thomas’ looked like magnificent rainbow rings around a lust-dilated irises. 

Delicate, long fingered hands came up to cradle Edward’s face in warm palms, lips were mouthing hotly at his and he let his own arms loop loosely around Thomas’ hips. Using the buoyancy of the water to his advantage, Edward lifted Thomas by the waist and Jopson immediately clung to his shoulders and hiked his legs up his back, curling them around the older man’s waist with long limbs. 

Edward loosened his grip once more and Tom’s hands returned to his face. Fingers carded through his mutton chops, petting over his facial hair before moving back to comb through his lengthed wet hair. 

Thomas settled above his pelvis, resting against his slightly bent knees as Edward reached down with one hand, taking his now fully engorged erection into his hand. He could feel him poking at his cleft and he had to loosen his leg’s grip on Edward’s waist for a second for him to find his entrance. 

The former first lieutenant leaned in to kiss him once more this time to silence the small cry emitted from Jopson’s lips as he pushed into him with a careful thrust, breaching him easily. “Shh, I’ve got you, Thomas.”

Inky black hair bounced, sending water dripping into the surface of blue between their chests from wet tendrils when the smaller man just nodded, letting out a breathless pant against his lips. He lifted himself up slightly while Edward pulled back, their hips began to meet in a steady rhythm. Their pants and moans were barely audible between them and the roaring waterfall that constantly sent mist and ocean spray up against their bodies, bodies that were engulfed in vibrant luminous hues as their bodies moved in their tandem dance. 

“Y-You know what, Thomas?” Edward asked, his voice soft against the other man’s ear as he continued his steady rhythm.

“I.. ah! Yes, Ned?”

Edward leaned in to kiss his lips one more time before resting his forehead against his, thrusting up a little more vigorously. “This may just be heaven… and there is no one else I’d rather share it with than you.”

Thomas felt his heart melting to mush -if that was even possible- and he smiled, dimpling brightly as he rubbed his nose against Edward’s. He placed a kiss to the bridge atop one of those adorable little blemishes, “I love thee, Edward Little. Oh, how I love thee.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Illustration.

Ice Princes under the Aurora Borealis.


End file.
